When we think of the word “sacrifice” we often think of something that’s valuable or important. If we sacrifice our time for someone it means we love them enough to give them our time. Life is full of sacrifices, and we make them every day in our jobs, our families, and our faith.
Jesus didn’t only make a tremendous sacrifice by coming to die for our sins, but He was also the sacrifice. He became the ultimate sacrifice by willingly giving up his body on the cross for our salvation.
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’” Genesis 22:1-2
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours
Slain for our salvation
In John 1:29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” For God’s people to be cleansed from their sins in the
Old Testament, it was required of them to slay lambs and spill the blood. When Jesus came, He put an end to all animal sacrifices by becoming the perfect Lamb of God. His blood was spilled once and for all to cleanse us.
Jesus’ death on the cross proves His boundless love for us. That’s why He says in John 15:13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” What better way to prove our love for God in return than being holy and loving others as He does?
Let’s turn to Genesis for one of the greatest lessons on sacrifice recorded in the Bible:
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’” Genesis 22:1-2
To put the above scripture into context, Abraham had waited 25 years to have his miracle child, Isaac. God gave him Isaac in his old age when it was impossible naturally for him and his wife, Sarah, to have a child. Now God wanted Abraham to sacrifice his precious little boy like he would an animal.
It sounds like a brutal thing to do, but as the story goes, Abraham eventually didn’t need to sacrifice Isaac. God provided a ram for the offering. God was only testing Abraham’s faith, trust, and obedience. In the end, the sacrifice wasn’t about Isaac, it was about Abraham.
What God expects of us as living sacrifices
God doesn’t want us to be careless, convenient Christians. He has separated us from the world to Himself. Look at all the beautiful words Peter uses to describe us in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
We aren’t ordinary people. We’re God’s special people. Therefore we should act like the sons and daughters of God that we are. Put away anger, jealousy, greed, malice, and all other negative traits. It also sometimes means letting go of that which you love the most, be it bad habits or even relationships that are holding you back from fulfilling your purpose or serving God.
In summary
Walking with a holy God requires us to be holy ourselves. While Jesus has already paid the
full price for our sins and we enjoy grace through His sacrifice, we shouldn’t take this grace for granted by consciously returning to sin. Show your love and devotion to God by surrendering yourself to Him, practicing true repentance daily, and living each day for His glory.
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